Crossfit, Consulting, and Parenthood
A conversation with Slalom Minneapolis’ Chief of Staff, Jessica Mendoza
What is a personal life experience that has shaped you most professionally?
The single most impactful thing that has shaped me as an employee was starting a family. It was in that moment that I had to learn balance, and it’s still something I continue to work on seven years later!
Having a family has taught me to let go of perfection, because often times, “really good” is more than enough. It has also forced me to prioritize what is important instead of priding myself on getting everything done, no matter the cost.
Lastly, parenthood has made me a better leader by actively demonstrating and advocating for balance within my team — in whatever way, shape, or form it takes for each individual!
In your eyes, what are the key elements to building a more inclusive and diverse work environment?
We need to continue to have difficult conversations around the many facets of inclusion and diversity. If you shy away from these sometimes uncomfortable topics, we can’t rely on anything to change for the better.
It’s through focus, commitment, and critical conversations that Slalom Minneapolis has hired at gender parity in 2019. I’m proud of the team for achieving this, and moving the needle in historically male-dominated fields such as software engineering, and it’s been amazing to witness the momentum these efforts have had as the diversity of our team continues to increase. My vision for our office is to be a place where many cultures, ethnicities, religious affiliations, socioeconomic statuses, and gender identities are represented among one team.
Tell us about a time that changed the way you view the world, yourself, or your expectations.
As an adoptee, I recently had the opportunity to discover more about my birth family. Through that journey I discovered that who I thought I was ethnically is completely different than what was shared during my adoption. This experience has changed my perspective on diversity. It’s such a complex and layered discussion with intersections of how you grew up culturally, how your partner grew up culturally, who you are genetically, and how you as an individual identify. Between those four intersections I have about ¾ of the world covered!
What advice would you give your 22 year-old self?
Don’t be so focused on ‘what’s next,’ and instead focus on what you can learn now. There is always room for improvement in your current work, and investing time in mastering those skills will set the foundation for what is next! Those early years of your career are all about laying down your professional foundation.
My second piece of advice would be to find a passion outside of work. I didn’t do that early on and found myself in a position where my value and satisfaction as a person was 100% dependent on my career, and that’s not healthy. Please learn from me and don’t do that!
What is one thing you saw recently that made you smile?
At Slalom we have quarterly meetings that our entire office attends as it’s one of our primary opportunities to come together and connect as a team. I had the opportunity at our last quarterly to give a training titled ‘The Business of Consulting’ with two of my co-workers.
Several people stopped to say “thank you” and provide ideas on how to improve future sessions. It always feels amazing when someone takes the time to say thanks, and I also think that moment really embodies several of our core values: stay humble and curious, take ownership and get it done, inspire, drive connection and teamwork, and smile.
Why do you stay at Slalom?
I stay because I’m having fun! It’s been such an amazing experience to help our office double in size from when I started two-and-a-half years ago! I have been able to grow, change, and adapt with our office as we’ve grown. What I’m focused on has dramatically changed as we’ve matured, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help write our story and shape our future!
Interested in working with Jess? Contact recruit-minneapolis@slalom.com
